Effect of Methyl Orange on the Wettability of Organic-Acid-Aged Sandstone Formations: Implications for CO₂ Geo-storage

Abstract

Carbon capture and sequestration are feasible techniques for achieving net-zero carbon emissions. In this respect, the storage capacity and fluid flow dynamics during carbon geostorage are controlled by the wettability of the geo-storage rock. However, as a result of the presence of organic acid contamination in sandstone geo-storage formations, the rock may attain a CO 2 -wet state, which would significantly reduce the CO 2 storage capacity. While nanofluids and surfactants have been recently utilized as wettability modifiers for enhanced CO 2 geo-storage capacity in sandstone formations, the impact of methyl orange (MO) on the wetting behavior of organic-acid-contaminated quartz has not been reported thus far. MO is a toxic dye that is normally discharged in considerable amounts into the environment. In the present study, MO is used for the wettability alteration of quartz substrates, which are representative of sandstone geo-storage formations. The quartz substrates are aged in n-decane/stearic acid solutions (10 −2 mol/L) for 1 week to mimic the real geo-storage conditions. Thereafter, quartz substrates are aged in various MO concentrations (10−100 mg/L) at 50 °C for 1 week. Subsequently, the advancing (θ a ) and receding (θ r ) contact angles of CO 2 /brine on the stearic-acid-aged quartz substrates with and without MO are measured at various pressures (10, 15, and 20 MPa), brine (NaCl) salinities (0, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 M), and temperatures (25 and 50 °C), using the pendant drop tilted plate technique. The results show that the hydrophobic surface of stearic-acid-aged quartz becomes hydrophilic in the presence of MO. Moreover, θ a decreases from 97°to 65°, while θ r decreases from 90°to 56°, as the MO concentration is increased from 10 to 100 mg/L. Therefore, to enhance the CO 2 storage capacity and mitigate CO 2 emissions, it is recommended that MO be disposed of in deep underground sandstone geological formations instead of discharging it into the environment.

Temperature Dependence of the Dynamic Contact Angles of Water on a Smooth Stainless-Steel Surface under Elevated Pressures

“…Surface wettability has attracted much attention because of its importance in a wide range of practical applications that are related to interfacial phenomena, including boiling and condensation, , evaporation, supercritical solvent extraction, printing and coating, , desalination, carbon geo-storage, and so on. Contact angle is one of the most common key parameters to characterize wetting behavior.…”

“…Given the importance of wetting and spreading behaviors of water in high-temperature and high-pressure applications, such as boiling heat transfer in nuclear reactors, spray cooling, and carbon geo-storage, the temperature dependence of the contact angles of water has been explored since the 1960s. , A recent review provided a state-of-the-art review on this topic by focusing on how temperature affects the wetting behavior of water on solid surfaces.…”

Impact of Methylene Blue on Enhancing the Hydrocarbon Potential of Early Cambrian Khewra Sandstone Formation from the Potwar Basin, Pakistan

“…Recent studies have demonstrated the wettability alteration of organic-acid-contaminated rocks by using nanofluids, surfactants, and certain chemicals such as methyl orange for EOR and gas (CO 2 and H 2 ) geo-storage purposes. ,− The results have shown that these surface-active agents can favor chemical flooding and CO 2 injection for EOR and CO 2 geo-storage. − ,, Mechanistically, the presence of surfactants, nanoparticles, and methyl orange in the base fluid has a robust effect on altering the hydrophobic rock surface into a water-wet state . Similarly, CO 2 flooding has also depicted improved oil recovery in many previous studies. , In addition, changes in the oil viscosity and reduction of the interfacial tension (IFT) have contributed to the success of EOR projects …”